Mardin: Exciting archaeological excavations have begun at Rabat Castle in Mardin, southeastern Trkiye, uncovering historical remains dating back some 2,000 years, officials and scholars said. Located in the village of Hisaralti in the Derik district, the ancient fortress spans 5.5 hectares and sits at an elevation of 955 meters (3,133 feet). It is believed to have been built during the Late Roman Era to protect trade caravans and defend the region from Sasanian incursions, referring to a Persian empire.
According to Anadolu Agency, with permission from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the excavation is being conducted by Mardin Museum Director Idris Akgul, alongside archaeologists Mehmet San and Erkan Guzel. Due to the lack of vehicle access, the team has to hike about one-and-a-half hours to reach the site. Once there, they work carefully around the castle's watchtowers, fortifications, churches, altars, rock tombs, residential structures, and water channels.
Akgul stated that 'This is one of the best-preserved archaeological sites after the ancient city of Dara,' and mentioned that the team struck the first shovel this year at an architectural structure believed to be a chapel. He highlighted that the earliest documentation of the site was by travelers and researchers in 1866, with records confirming the well-preserved state of the churches, cisterns, and other features. Ceramic fragments from various historical periods such as the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Artuqid were identified, along with unearthed arrowheads and coins significant for historical documentation.
The team plans to continue excavations at the larger church known locally as the Rabat Church after working on a smaller chapel carved into the rock. Situated at a strategic point overlooking the Mesopotamian Plain, the castle likely guarded the region between modern-day Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa's Viransehir district. Akgul described the fortress's features, emphasizing its defensive walls, moats, and the upper city's churches, chapels, cisterns, and dwellings, reflecting both defensive and commercial purposes.
The excavation team aspires to restore and display the well-preserved structures to create a new cultural tourism route in the region. They aim to extend the excavations throughout the year under the Ministry's Heritage for the Future project. As work progresses, Akgul hopes to illuminate the area's past. Local Rohan Ates, a part of the dig team, expressed excitement about the findings and the potential for tourism, voicing pride in being part of the project and hope that it will become a significant attraction in the region.